Not all monsters hate you. Some are just here for the paycheck.

Welcome to the Yugoloths – the infernal mercenaries of the Lower Planes.

In the ancient and unending Blood War, there have always been two factions. There are the Devils – lawful evil manipulators who wish to see all of reality bound by law and contract that they control. And there are the Demons, who are chaotic evil, throwing off the chains of law and form, seeking to turn the cosmos into a frantic, self-devouring orgy of destruction.

Between these two factions, however, come the Yugoloths – neutral evil creatures of the Lower Planes who are just in it for the money.

Or whatever passes for money in the Abyss.

These creatures will work for power and influence, raking in the rewards of their service for as long as they’re available. And while they may be terrifying on the battlefield, they’re not the endgame.

While there are many varieties of Yugoloth, the Mezzoloth is the true brutish foot soldier. The hit… thing. The one who comes in force to start breaking kneecaps and devouring souls so that their patron can grow even more powerful.

What this means for you is that Mezzoloths in your game aren’t the villain. They’re the help. And while they may come at your party hard, and in numbers, they’re not the ones who your players will ultimately have to deal with.

If you need a strong start for your campaign, an attack of Mezzoloths would be a great one. They appear, seeking out some artefact or person for their terrible masters, and in between them and your goal stands your Party – if they’re even a Party yet. Depending on their starting level, this could be a fight the walk away from, or a fight they have to flee. Make sure you telegraph it by showing them tearing through Commoners like tissue paper – they get two attacks a round, and either one of them could kill a Commoner outright.

Maybe your Party is of a level to fight them – well, then they have to deal with magical returning tridents, powerful control spells. Cloudkill can turn a corridor into a death zone. Dispel Magic can strip your casters bare. Teleportation means that they get to control the battlefield. Imagine a whole bunch of giant, dedicated killing machines popping in and out of space, appearing wherever they want, and sometimes bringing a hapless victim with them. If your Party decides to fight them, they won’t make it easy.

Whether your Party fights or flees, this is a strong way to show them the terrible power of the Abyss and the things that lurk there. From here, the path leads inexorably to their master. Perhaps a demon lord, or a very powerful archmage. Think about who would have the need and the resources to enlist Mezzoliths to their cause. Whoever it is, that’s up to you. If your Party can follow the money – or whatever passes for it – they can find the person who’s the real threat to their land.

It could even be the lead-up to a whole Planar War. Maybe the Blood War has finally made its way to the Material Plane, and it’s going to scour the land down to the bedrock. If that’s the case, then your players have more than just some Mezzoloth thugs to deal with – they have Devils and Demons, and perhaps other planar forces that find themselves involved.

Would it be possible for them to win the Mezzoloths over? Sure. Mercenaries have been known to change sides, if the price is right. Problem is, what price would they need to pay? The Monster Manual page lists a few things that your Mezzoloths might agree to serve for. Access to a planar portal, perhaps, or magic weapons and armor. Maybe an awesome lair for it and its buddies.

Can your players supply that? Can they make a better offer than the Lords of the Abyss? Maybe they can, and if so, having a squad of Mezzoloth mercenaries would certainly be one for the books.

It would also be a very strong alignment shift, if they’re ready for that. These creatures may dance with the one that brought them, but they’re still evil creatures. It’s unlikely you could hire a troop of Mezzoloths to babysit toddlers and escort nuns to church. Not unless you want dead orphans and nuns and a lot of questions.

Ultimately, the Mezzoloth is a symptom of a greater problem, a fundamentally unsolvable problem of the universe: some people just like to hurt others. They’ll do it for a price, sure, but the Mezzoloths would likely do it for fun, too.

You see, they’re not villains. They’re not even soldiers in a holy war.

They’re here to do a job, and unless your players stop them, they will do that job very well.